The online chat forum Reddit may not be the best place to find attributable data. But if it's opinion and sentiment you're looking for, then it's perfect.
Reddit is where Scripps News met Paul Douglas. In October, he visited Disneyland, rode the rides, got some merchandise, and had a quintessential American experience — the last U.S. experience according to him, at least for the next four years.
"If you're dealing with an American, you almost have to ask who they voted for because it's two almost completely different worlds,” Douglas said.
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Douglas is among the growing number of foreigners foregoing travel to the U.S. because of President Donald Trump. Douglas identifies as queer and expresses that between tariffs, ideology, safety, and principle, it's just not something he's comfortable with anymore.
“It felt a little bit like betrayal by a friend sort of situation the second time around because … It sets a tone that this isn't maybe the same thing that you thought it was," he explained. “This relationship might not be of the same dynamic."
According to March data from the Commerce Department, foreign visitors to the United States by air fell nearly 10% from the same time last year and nearly 13% from before the COVID-19 pandemic. Goldman Sachs predicts this downturn could cost the U.S. up to $90 billion in lost tourism revenue.
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Lee Ohanian, an economics professor at UCLA, notes that the most significant impacts will be felt in areas where tourism is a major economic driver. He warns that the downturn won't just affect businesses; it could also impact state funding.
States like Florida, which have no personal income tax, rely on general sales tax and excise taxes, making the loss in tourism especially concerning.
"That could be just really a very important issue for them and I know people in the lodging industry, restaurant industry, they're worried what's going to happen come this summer," Ohanian said.
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International travelers spent a record $254 billion in the U.S. last year, according to the International Trade Association. The group projected the U.S. would welcome 77 million visitors this year, just shy of the 2019 record, before pushing to a new high in 2026. But that was before stories of harsh detentions at airports began circulating, prompting visitors like Douglas to steer clear of the U.S. for the foreseeable future.
"Unfortunately, it doesn't feel like an option anymore," he said. "So I sort of look to go to Japan instead."
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
